


House of Cards

by CrimsonWild



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: DBZ Paparazzi Challenge, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:11:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4564191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonWild/pseuds/CrimsonWild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They knew that it was only a matter of time before their nice quiet lives were going to be disrupted. It was inevitable, what with Videl being Hercule Satan's daughter and everything. However they didn't expect that one sneaky reporter would be the start of the avalanche. Response to Shadow4146's DBZ Paparazzi Challenge. Updated Thursdays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Front Cover News

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings [Entire Story]: Language
> 
> AN: I came across the challenge that was presented by Shadow4146 called the DBZ Paparazzi Challenge and found it interesting enough to give it a go. 
> 
> If you want to find out more about it or to give it a go, feel free to PM me and I’ll sent you the link.

Bulma Briefs knew that the press were a strange bunch of people. They could be placed into two categories: the truth tellers and the liars and unfortunately they weren't two even groups. The liars outnumbered the truth tellers, and more often than not those who were a part of the truth tellers eventually made their way over to the liars in order to pay the bills or to appease their liar editors. Bulma knew this and it was for this reason that she had two of the best PR people in the business working for Capsule Corp and dealing with everything that had to do with the company that her father had built up from the ground and her friends who were more like family after everything that they had been through.

It wasn't often that Drusilla Banks and Ronald Gibson asked to speak to her urgently, especially at seven thirty in the morning. Unless it was something that she desperately needed to know about. After telling her assistant, Stephanie, to have them come up to her office ASAP, Bulma spent the next five minutes wondering what it is that could have her PR team so worried. There was no big announcement due to be made, at least not for a couple of weeks after they had the final results on the new Capsule Car model in. That meant that it had something to do with her family.

When Drusilla and Ronald walked in the both of them looked to be slightly worried. Both held large folders under their arms and between them they had a number of newspapers and magazines. That did nothing but confirm Bulma's suspicions that it had nothing to do with the company and it was a personal matter. She looked between the two, waiting for one of them to begin to explain what the problem was and after less than a minute of the two of them looking at her unable to say something, Bulma started the conversation herself.

'What's happened?' Bulma said. 'I take it that it has something to do with everything that you have carted into my office.'

'It has nothing to do with the company,' Ronald said.

'I kind of gathered that. If it had to do with Capsule Corp you would have just brought Newspapers. Magazines generally don't talk about the company, unless it's science journals,' Bulma replied. 'It's got to do with my family?'

'To an extent,' Ronald said as the two of them sat down in front of Bulma's desk.

'To an extent?' she repeated.

'It's probably best if you just have a look,' Drusilla said and handed her one of the newspapers.

Bulma almost snatched it from her hands, only stopping herself at the last second and held herself back. She looked at the newspaper, reading and then re-reading the headline again just to make sure that her eyes were not deceiving her. She dropped the newspaper on her desk and reached across, grabbing another newspaper, from Ronald this time, and read the headline. 

'They're all like this,' Drusilla said as the two of them spread the rest of the magazines and newspapers across her desk. 'Each one saying basically the same thing, with the same pictures, trying to outdo the next with their headlines.'

'We've already heard that they've been in contact with her best friends from school and they're trying to get through to her father as we speak,' Ronald continued. 

Bulma looked at the mosaic of magazines and newspapers across her desk, copies of the same words jumping out at her and making her heart beat in her chest. She had done her best to make sure that everyone in her family were kept safe from these people, even those in her extended family. Yet somehow this had happened. These people had managed to sneak through everything that she had put in place and had started a landslide of press that wasn't in any way productive. 

'What do you suggest we do?'

'We've got our assistants working on a statement as we speak, but right now we need to know one thing,' Ronald said. 

'Which is?' Bulma asked. 

'Do Videl and Gohan know?'

Bulma clenched her jaw. She highly doubted that Videl and Gohan were aware of the media landslide that was currently occurring around them. Videl wasn't one to buy gossip magazines, she found them to be distasteful and only looked at them if she was at a doctor’s appointment or hanging out with her best friend Erasa, and even then it was just glancing to pass the time. Gohan was very much the same in regards to gossip magazines and would always catch up on the news online during his breaks or if it was really important someone in his division would inform him of it. As far as she knew the only kind of magazine that Gohan willingly read was science journals, so he could stay up to-date with all the important breakthroughs that were happening in the world, and briefly he had a membership to a couple of martial arts magazines as a Christmas gift from Videl early on in their relationship, before she realised that her husband spent more time laughing at what the reporters were saying then actually enjoying the information that was being presented. 

Her first born Godson did not need to be dragged through the muddy waters that came with this kind of press and neither did the rest of his family. 

Reaching across her desk, Bulma picked up her phone and pressed zero, so she could call outside the company, and then the speed dial button where she knew the Son's home number was stored.  

* * *

 Son Chi-Chi's kitchen was filled with the normal sounds that came with having one full blooded Saiyan, three demi Saiyans (one of which was a guest) and one quarter Saiyan over for breakfast. As Chi-Chi and her daughter in law Videl sat across from each other, they held the same look on their face. Awe that the Saiyans could eat so much, even after spending so many years with them, and disgust that they still hadn't mastered basic manners, even after three of three had had it beaten into their heads numerous times with the help of Chi-Chi's ever present frying pan. 

However normal the sight was, these days it wasn't so much of a common occurrence. Trunks only ever stayed over if he and Goten had a free study period the next morning first up, giving him time to sleep in before racing around with Goten to get ready for school at Orange Star High School. Videl, Gohan and their daughter Pan usually had breakfast at their own house, but due to some renovations that had started the week before they were rooming at Gohan's parents for two months until the work was done. Not that Goku nor Chi-Chi minded the full house. Chi-Chi loved having her daughter in-law over, giving her someone more feminine to talk to about things that were happening in the world, cooking and martial arts, not to mention the joy it gave her to have her only grandchild over to spoil relentlessly. For Goku it was like returning to the way things were after Buu was defeated, with the added addition of Pan, whom would follow her beloved Grandpa around like a second shadow, trying to copy every movement that he made. Plus, if Goku was completely honest, it was nice having a kid around the house to play with. 

At only four, Pan was a little young to be in school, so while her parents were at work her time was divided between day-care (which she attended with Bulma's daughter Bra) and her paternal grandparents house, which only solidified Pan's attachment to her Grandparents to a point that her own parents wondered if the little girl would care if they just permanently moved her into Gohan's old room. 

As the room filled with laughter as Goten got rice stuck up his nose, causing him to repetitively sneeze and cough to the amusement of Pan, they almost didn't hear the phone ring. As the final ring sounded, Gohan reached behind him, ignoring the cry from his mother about swinging on his chair, and grabbed the phone, swallowing the last of his food at the same time. 

'Hello Son residence, Gohan speaking,' Gohan said, the legs of his chair still staying suspended in the air despite his mother's and soon after his father's disapproval on his use of kitchen furniture. 'Oh, hi Bulma, did you want to talk to Mum?' He paused, listening to Bulma talk while everyone else around the table went back to eating. 

As she ate, Videl kept one eye on Gohan. What has started as a pleasant conversation was slowly developing into something else as a frown started to appear across his face and his chair came down to sit on all four legs once more. Videl liked to think in the past five years of knowing Gohan, four and a half of which were spent in a romantic relationship, she knew Gohan pretty well. She knew when to press and when to leave it alone, she knew when he was happy but was refusing to show it, and she knew the difference between angry Gohan and angry/frustrated Gohan. 

As she watched her husband, Videl saw all the signs that Gohan was starting to become the former. 

'Gohan?' 

Chi-Chi and Goku stopped eating once again and looked at Gohan, both realising that this wasn't just a friendly call from Bulma. Goten and Trunks, picking up the change in atmosphere, placed their own plates down on the table and started to watch Gohan as well. Pan was the only one who didn't seem to notice the change in her surroundings and continued to eat her breakfast with gusto. 

Gohan held up a finger as he continued to listen to Bulma, his forehead furrowing more as he continued to listen to his father's best friend. It wasn't often that Bulma called with bad news, unless it was to tell his parents about something that Goten and Trunks had done at school. This however was a completely different story. It wasn't often that she called about something to do with Videl and himself and more importantly Pan. The more that Bulma told him the more he could feel anger bubbling up in his chest over the entire situation. 

'I know that you and Videl want nothing to do with the media circus that comes with her Dad, which is why I thought it best to tell you what is going on,' Bulma said. 'Drusilla and Ronald just alerted me to a hailstorm of press concerning your family. Someone managed to get a photo of Videl and Pan, I don't know how, I'm going to track that down, but its front page news on multiple magazines and newspapers.'

'What's being said?' Gohan asked. 

'A lot of questions about who Pan's Dad is, if Pan is actually Videl's daughter, why no one has seen Videl in such a long time, not to mention they've been in contact with old school mates and are trying to get in contact with her Dad,' Bulma replied. 

At the mention of old school mates, Gohan reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and sent a quick message off to Erasa. 

> **_To: Erasa:_**   _Have you seen the news this morning?_  

'Have they managed to get in contact with him?' Gohan asked.

'As far as Drusilla and Ronald know they've been unsuccessful,' Bulma said. 'What? Ok. Damn it, Gohan it's just hit the TV.' 

Less than five seconds later Gohan was standing in the lounge room, TV on and the phone still pressed against his ear. He didn't even have to ask which channel Bulma was talking about because as he flicked through them all each one was talking about his wife and his daughter. His eyes never left the TV, but he could feel the rest of his family gathering around him and watching. 

'  _The world is in shock this morning as photos have surfaced showing the World Champion Hercule Satan's daughter Videl Satan with a young child, presumed to be a daughter. No one has seen hide or hair of Videl Satan since she finished High School and there has been a largely rumoured riff between her and her father; friends of the young two time world championship junior champion have said that they had no idea that Videl Satan had a daughter and can't for the life of them think of who the father could be, especially as Mr Satan made it entirely clear that in order to date his daughter they needed to be stronger than he is. One of her close friends Sharpner Pencil also stated that it is entirely possible that the little girl might not even be Videl Satan's daughter and the child of a friend, as there is hardly any resemblance between the little girl and his childhood friend_. '

'WHAT!' Videl said. 

'  _We're still waiting to hear from Hercule Satan himself on the matter as it's not known whether or not Mr Satan is aware due to the rumoured rift between him and his daughter. We're going to go to Jerry Donald’s now, a columnist for the Daily Star and the first to break this news to the world. Thank you so much for coming in at short notice Jerry._ '

'  _It's my pleasure Cindy._ '

'  _You were the first to break the news in your column for the Daily Star, how is it that you came across this huge breaking news._ '

'  _It came as a total surprise, as I was shopping over the weekend and just happened to spot Videl Satan at the mall. At first I thought that she was with some friends and just hanging out when the little girl came into my sight and started to drag her over to the car that you can see in the photo. It was by pure chance that I was able to snap a couple of photos and it was able to hear the little girl call Videl Satan "Mummy"._ '

'  _You are actually able to confirm that the little girl is in fact Videl Satan's daughter?_ '

'  _From what I overheard and witnessed it is undeniable that Videl Satan is in fact a mother and a mother to this little girl. You can see in all these photos that Videl is caring a great deal for her, making sure that she is safe at all times yet being encouraging._ '

'  _There is no denying from visual proof that Videl and this little girl are very close, and the fact that you were able to over hear the little girl call her Mummy is remarkable. Is there any clue as to who the father is?_ '

'  _That would have to be one of the biggest mysteries to come out of this whole story. All Videl's old friends haven't been in close contact with her in many years, only hearing from her now and then on Starbook when she is talking to one of her closest friends, Erasa Rubber. Other than that there isn't a lot of information that they have on the mysterious father. It's well known that Mr Satan has state that in order to date his daughter the man in question needs to be stronger than him and able to defeat him in a fight, and because we have yet to hear from Mr Satan its unknown whether or not he approves._ '

'  _And if he doesn't approve it would explain why no one has heard from Videl in such a long time._ '

'  _Exactly. It's entirely possible that Mr Satan does not approve of Videl's child's father, especially if he has yet to defeat him in a fight-_ '

'  _I'm sorry to interrupt Jerry, but there is new information coming in from Satan Mansion. Mr Satan himself has stepped out to make a statement to the press waiting outside. We're crossing to Mr Satan right now._ '

'Oh. My. God.' Videl said.

Gohan looked at his parents, both of them looking agitated, and then to his younger brother and friend, who were looking at each other and talking in that non-verbal way that usually only spelled trouble. Finally he looked at Videl who couldn't take her eyes off the TV and the image of her Father as he stood out the front of his mansion. 

'  _Good morning everyone. I know that you have all have been waiting to hear from Mr Satan regarding the news that broke earlier this morning, so I won't keep you waiting too much longer. We only ask that you allow Mr Satan to complete his full statement before you ask him any questions pertaining to the story. Without any adue, I give you Mr Satan._ '

'  _Thank you John._ ' Mr Satan had not changed much in the five years since Gohan had seen him last. His hair was still styled in a ridiculous afro and he still dressed like he was a young man in the 70's, the only thing missing from his ensemble was several large gold chains and he would fit the part. There were a few minor differences, like a few extra lines around his eyes but otherwise he was the same loud mouthed man who claimed that he had defeated Buu and Cell. Every time Videl saw her father on TV she wished that he would stop with the boasting - Gohan's favourite quote of hers being: it’s like he's a pro wrestler and the world is his ring. This whoever was different. He wasn't boasting about his latest win or how he was the strongest on Earth, he was about to say something that could drastically change everything.

'  _As you are all aware, early this morning the news broke that my daughter Videl has a child of her own. My relationship between myself and my daughter has been strained over the past five years_ -' Gohan heard Trunks snort '- _and we have come to a point where we could be defined as estranged. As a result I was not aware of the existence of a possible granddaughter. I am deeply saddened that this has happened and now that I know of her existence I fully intend on becoming a part of this little girl’s life and teaching her the way of martial arts, like I taught my daughter. I only hope that Videl sees this and understands that I truly wish to be a part of her life once more._ '

Gohan didn't need to look at Videl to know that she was furious.   _Just another example of how Hercule Satan is able to twist things so he looks like the hero,_  Gohan thought.

'  _Mr Satan, have you heard from your daughter at all since the news broke_?'

'  _No, I'm hoping that I will later today._ '

'Fat chance,' Goten muttered.

'  _Mr Satan, do you have any idea who the father of your daughter’s child is?_ '

'  _No, but I do have a message for the_ ** _boy_**    _who fathered my grandchild. You are nothing but a coward, firstly for not fronting up and meeting me like any decent suitor would, but secondly for forcing my daughter to stay with you because you were an idiot and got my beloved Videl pregnant. If you were any kind of a man then you would come to me and face me like every other potential suitor that has wanted to date my Videl. You have no right to keep_   ** _my girls_**   _from me. So be a man and face me!_ '

Out of the corner of his eye Gohan saw Videl turn and walk out of the room. 

'Are you watching this Gohan?' Bulma asked.

'Hard not to, it's like a train wreck,' Gohan replied.

'How's Videl?' 

A door up stairs slammed shut and Gohan winced. 'Better than expected.'

'Gohan, you know that Hercule Satan is an idiot and everything he says is just a way for him to save face right?' Bulma said. 

'I know. Videl knows. The problem will be making sure that Pan doesn't see any of this,' Gohan said. 'And dealing with everything that happens from here on in.'

'I've got Drusilla and Ronald on writing a statement on behalf of you and Videl; you won't have to say a word publicly if you don't want to. Ronald did suggest that it might be a good idea to call Satan in so you and Videl can talk to him face to face and in private.'

'I knew that it was going to have to happen one day,' Gohan said. 'Thanks for the heads up Bulma.'

'No problem,' Bulma said. 'And Gohan?'

'Yes Bulma?'

'Everything is going to be ok.'

'Thanks Bulma,' Gohan said.

Gohan felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at his Dad who had a concerned look covering his face. It wasn't often that his father looked concerned about anything and the numbers got even lower when it came to Gohan being on the receiving end of that look. Looking at his mother Gohan saw that a similar look was being sent his direction and then upstairs where Videl had disappeared. Goten and Trunks were the only ones who weren't looking at him, instead they were having a hushed conversation. Gohan didn't need to try to listen in on their conversation to figure out what they were talking about. His mother seemed to be on the same page because she turned around and out of nowhere brandished her frying pan in their direction. 

'You two are NOT allowed to do ANYTHING to Mr Satan  _do you understand me_!' 

'But Mum!' Goten said. 

'You. Are. Not. To. Do. Anything. To. Mr. Satan. Or. Go. Anywhere. Near. Him. Understand. Me.' Chi-Chi said, punctuating every word with a smack to the back of their heads with her frying pan. Once she was done she strode across the room and up the stairs to talk with her daughter-in-law. Gohan didn't bother to try and stop her. Right now Videl needed to talk with and get comfort from Chi-Chi as a substitute mother, his turn would come later. 

When he had started dating Videl, and later when she moved out of her father's home and moved into his parents’ house, he had known that it wasn't going to be easy. Having Hercule Satan as a father meant someone constantly watching them, waiting to take that perfect shot that would get them noticed. More than once Gohan had helped Videl sneak out of her house via her balcony in order for them to spend some time alone without her father noticing. After the fight Videl had with her father things got a little easier because they didn't have to be so worried about being caught in the local villages that they visited, but it didn't stop them from being cautious, becoming more so when they got married and when Pan was born. Gohan had been told how much the press had tried to get a picture of him after his father won the World Championship and the last thing he and Videl wanted was for Pan to be hounded like Videl had been. They didn't have the same connections that Bulma had that kept the press away from them and while they knew Bulma would have helped them if they wanted it, it was easier to just to stay low and not draw attention to themselves. 

'Gohan, are you ok?' Goku asked. 

'I've been better Dad,' Gohan said. 

'I don't get why, everyone who matters knows that Mr Satan is an idiot,' Goten said as he rubbed the back of his head. 

'Besides, if Mum knows about it then she's going to make Mr Satan and the reporter to took the pictures of Videl and Pan pay,' Trunks said. 'She's not about to let anything bad happen to her first born Godson and his family.' 

'It's not that,' Gohan said. 'I know he's an idiot, and I know that if I took him up on his challenge that I would wipe the floor with him.'

'That is putting it lightly,' Goten said. 

'The problem is that Mr Satan at the moment has the floor and everyone is going to believe him because he's their hero. He's the one, in their eyes, that saved the world not once but twice, so even if I did go out there and make a statement the world is going to back him regardless of what Bulma does or what Videl says, and that is what is hurting Videl at the moment,' Gohan said. 

'That and the fact that her father basically declared to the world that the man that she chose isn't good enough and is a deadbeat and a coward,' Trunks said. 

'Exactly,' Gohan said. 'Mum, Dad can Pan stay here while everything gets sorted out. I don't want her going into day-care at the moment.' 

'Of course,' Goku said. 'You and Videl should lay low as well.'

'That's what I'm planning on doing,' Gohan said. 'The more we avoid the press at the moment the better, at least until Videl and I talk with Bulma and her PR team.'

'If anyone is able to fix this it's Bulma,' Goku said.

'Daddy?' Gohan looked over at the doorway where Pan stood, food stuck to various places on her face and looking concerned. 'Why is Mummy sad?'

Gohan ran a hand through his hair. He and Videl had an open policy with Pan and the questions that she asked, believing that hiding things from her wasn't the best way to raise a child. So whenever she asked a question, they answered it without lying, only phrasing it differently and making it age appropriate. It was the way that Gohan's parents had raised him and he had always been thankful that they had.

'Some people took a picture of you and Mummy,' Gohan said as he picked her up and wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt.

'Why would that make Mummy sad? She always loves to get a picture with me,' Pan said, her little forehead frowning. 

'It wasn't that the picture was taken, Saru, that has made you Mummy sad. It's that someone took the picture without asking Mummy or you first,' Gohan said. 'You know how Bulma and Vegeta get mad when people take pictures of Trunks and Bra without asking them.'

'Yes, last time Vegeta went Super Saiyan because a man tried to take a picture of Bra when she was in the bathroom.' 

'Yes, but Dad was mad about that for an entirely different reason,' Trunks growled and started muttering about perverts. Goten quickly dragged him out of the room before he followed his father's example and got mad enough to turn Super Saiyan as well. 

'Well this man did the same thing to you and Mummy, and now some people are upset because Mummy didn't tell them about you, like your Grandpa Hercule,' Gohan explained. 

'Why would Grandpa Hercule be mad?' Pan asked. 'It's just a picture.'

'There are other reasons most of them have to do with Grandpa Hercule and Mummy and me, so you don't need to worry about it,' Gohan said and tickled her side.

The giggles reverberated around the room and Gohan looked over at his Dad. Goku was a man who had met every challenge head one and had done his best to do right by his family and those he loved, even if sometimes those things didn't seem like it to an outsider or someone who didn't know him all that well. Right now though, Gohan knew that his father was trying to think of a way to help that didn't involve him standing around silently. Goku knew that this was one time where fighting like he usually did wasn't going to help the situation and help his son and daughter-in-law, and it made it feel utterly helpless. 

'Dad,' Gohan said, dragging the older man out of his thoughts. 'It's going to be ok.' He looked back down at his giggling daughter. 'Videl and I knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, that the press was going to find out about us and Pan. We just hoped that Hercule would have heard it from us instead and that we were on better terms. Unfortunately we've been dealt a bad hand and we're going to have to deal with the consequences. Like you said, if anyone is going to be able to help fix this, it's going to be Bulma.'

Goku smiled. 'Still wish that I could do something.'

'Nothing you can do. This is something that Videl and I made, in part,' Gohan said. 

'Maybe, but I can't understand why Hercule would act the way he's acting,' Goku said. 'I doubt even Vegeta would talk that way towards someone that Bra was dating.'

'No, he'd be able to track them down easy and then beat him up for being a weakling and not worthy of his daughter, with Trunks second in line. But he wouldn't do it publicly,' Gohan grinned and turned his attention back to Pan. 'So Panny, while Mummy and I work things out with Grandpa Hercule you're going to spend some time with Grandpa Goku and Grandma Chi-Chi.'

Pan's eyes widened with excitement. 'Really?'

'Really,' Goku said and leant in to whisper in her ear. 'We might even start working on teaching you how to do a Kamehameha wave.'

'SON GOKU! YOU ARE NOT TEACHING OUR GRANDDAUGHTER HOW TO PERFORM THE KAMEHAMEHA WAVE!'

Goku blinked rapidly and looked up at the stairs before bringing his hand up to rub the back of his head. 'Even after all these years I can't work out how your mother is able to do that.'

'One of the mysteries of the universe I guess,' Gohan said, tossing the still giggling Pan over to his father in a spontaneous game of  _Catch Pan_.

As he watched his father toss Pan up and down like he had done the first time he had met Goten, Gohan felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. He pulled it out and read the message that Erasa had sent him.

> **_To: Gohan_**   _–_   _Seen the news? If these people out front of my apartment have anything to say about it, I’m going to be on the news!_    


	2. The Other Side

It never failed to amaze Gohan how fast things could turn from good to bad in a matter of hours. The day had started off as normal as any other until the phone call from Bulma caused everything to come crashing down around them faster than his father and Vegeta could finish a wedding cake. After Erasa's text he hastily called his wife's best friend to find out what was happening on her end.

'Hey Gohan,' Erasa said, he voice sounding breathy and almost like she was trying her best to not be over heard.

'Hey E, what's going on at your place?'

'Oh, nothing much. Breakfast, watching the news, avoiding all the windows and keeping my curtains and blinds closed so that nosy reporters and photographers can't peek in. You know, the usual,' Erasa replied.

Gohan grimaced. 'They're outside your house?'

'Yes, someone apparently let my address slip and they've been hanging outside my house for most of the early morning. I didn't realise until I went out to go for a walk and get a coffee and walked out to find a large population of people hanging out the front of my house just waiting for me to walk out the door. I caught on pretty fast what it was about and got back inside before they could corner me any further,' Erasa said. 'I swear when I get my hands of the jerk-wad who gave out my address I'm going to strangle them.'

'We'll add them to the list,' Gohan replied.

'I take it the dumbass reporter who snapped the picture of Videl and Panny is top of that list,' Erasa said.

'On the  _people I'd like to strangle for upsetting my life_  list, most definitely. He's not even top ten on the other list,' Gohan said. He knew that he didn't have to go on and explain the later comment. Erasa was as much in the know about his life as Bulma was and it made things easier for him and Videl not having to keep a major secret from one of their closest friends. 'Have you managed to talk to Sharpner?'

'He's on my list to contact,' Erasa said. 'I haven't talked to him in eighteen months, not since we got into that huge argument about him wanting to  _reconnect with Videl_  and I called him on his bullshit.'

Gohan remembered the aftermath of this particular argument well. Erasa had come over to their house afterwards and after Pan had gone to bed they had drunk a lot of wine and allowed Erasa to vent about the boy that she had been madly in love with for years. It had taken a lot of courage for her to tell Sharpner to stop being a jerk and let Videl live her life the way she wanted it, even more so when she had told Sharpner to stay away from her until he was willing to accept that. It had taken a lot of venting and cuddles where Gohan wasn't sure that Erasa would ever let go of Pan but in the end the bubbly blonde hand turned her love life around and jumped over the wall that had built up. Gohan couldn't have been prouder of Erasa, but that didn't stop him and Videl discussing ways that they could silently make Sharpner's life hell with him realising that it was them.

'You don't have to call him you know, I could hand over his detailed to Bulma and I'm sure that she would put the fear of Dende into him,' Gohan said. He heard Erasa exhale over the phone and knew that she was very tempted.

'I would love to Gohan, I really would, but I need to do this. I can't hide from him forever and if he did make that comment I'm going to grab him by the balls and make him see the error of his ways,' Erasa said.

'Tell me when you do, I want front row seats,' Gohan said. 'And I'm sure that Videl will help you.'

'I'm sure she will,' Erasa said.

'How are you going to get to work?' Gohan asked.

Gohan could almost hear her smile. 'One of the great things about my job is that I can do it from the comfort of my house. I've got a couple of designs that I need to finish up and I need to get in contact with a couple of people about a few missing things you guys need for your kitchen otherwise you'll be stuck at your parents' house longer than planned.'

Gohan had to admit; sometimes having a very talented interior designer like Erasa for a friend was very handy, especially when she was determined to get the best for her clients.

'I better let you go. I'm sure you're going to need to keep the line open in case any new information comes out or if Bulma needs to get in contact with you.'

'True. I'll call you later today and see how things are going. Oh and Erasa, if the press get too bad let me know and I'll get in contact with Bulma,' Gohan said.

'Knowing Videl the moment she hears she's going to be on the phone with her old police contacts and getting them off my property,' Erasa said. 'I'll talk to you later Gohan.'

'Bye E,' Gohan said.

The rest of the day flew past faster than the three years the Z Fighters used to get prepared for the andriods and by the end of it Gohan was tempted to grab Pan and Videl and jump on the first ship off Earth. It didn't bother him where it was going, just as long as it got his family away from the press that was intent on tracking down his wife and daughter. He knew that Bulma wouldn't care; she had been trying to get him to go on a couple of missions lately as a way for him to learn more about the company. He wondered sometimes if she was trying to groom him to become President of Capsule Corp instead of Trunks, but he knew that wasn't true. If anything his blue haired Godmother was probably trying to figure out a way for everything to run smoothly at Capsule Corp now that it was expanding into the stars and Gohan was one of the few who would tell her honestly if it was, for lack of a better phrase, a fuck up. Plus if she thought that it would help elevate the stress the whole situation was putting on them she would have a ship ready for them in less than twenty four hours.

The only thing that stopped him from making the phone call to Bulma was Videl and Pan. He knew his daughter wouldn't take well to being separated from her extended family for too long, she had a hard enough time spending the day at pre-school before Goku, Chi-Chi or Goten (with Trunks) picked her up in the afternoon. The only thing that kept her grounded at the pre-school was Bra, who was every bit Vegeta's daughter only with Bulma's appearance. No, Pan would not cope well being away from those that she loved to dearly for too long. Videl was a different story. His wife was not one to back away from a fight and the moment that he saw her walk out her their room after spending some time alone with Chi-Chi, he saw a look in her eyes that he hadn't seen since she had stopped fighting crime as a hobby.

She had a fire in her eyes and nothing was going to make her back down until she had managed to work out what the problem was and how to fix it so her family could once again live the life that they wanted to life. And that included her friends. True to Erasa's prediction, the moment that Videl heard about what was going on over at Erasa's house she was one the phone and talking with the Chief of Police in Satan City (whom she stayed in contact with) and got him to deal with the press out the front of her best friend's house.

With that problem dealt with, Videl and Gohan turned to face the next one. Knowing that Pan was safe at her Grandparent's house for the time being, Gohan and Videl flew to Capsule Corp to being working on damage control and getting their side of the story out there before any more of Videl's so called "friends" could make a comment.

'I swear all these people who a commenting I don't even remember,' Videl said as she scanned through the tenth repetitive story that Bulma had in her office.

'They all come out of the woodwork when this kind of thing happens,' Bulma said from her chair across from the two of them.

'When Bulma announced that she had married Vegeta and that they had a two year old son the press went mad as well,' Gohan said and looked over at Bulma. 'I remember Dad getting mad because they kept pestering your Mum, to the point where she couldn't even walk outside with Pookie.'

'Pookie?' Videl asked.

'Mum's little Maltese cross that Dad gave her when I was five,' Bulma said. 'By that stage he was really old and Mum would take him outside to his favourite tree a couple of times a day to do his business. Once the reporters came things went downhill fast because Mum couldn't take Pookie out.'

'A month after the news broke Pookie passed away. Bulma's Mum still blames the press 'til this day,' Gohan said.

'He was an old dog on his way out, but it effectively boxed him in and shortened what life he did have less, which is why Mum now hates the press.'

'I didn't think she was capable of hating anyone,' Videl said.

'Panchy Briefs is one of the kindest and, well, sorry to say this Bulma, ditsiest, women I know, but the moment you hurt the people that she truly care's about she will hit you like a hurricane. You should have heard all the names that she called your Dad when she saw him take credit for defeating Cell,' Gohan said.

'Even Vegeta was impressed and it's hard to impress him. He does have an extensive vocabulary that he has passed on to our son,' Bulma said.

'Not Bra?'

'Surprisingly no,' Bulma said. 'He's very old fashioned when it comes to her.'

'Probably has something to do with her lack of Saiyan Fighting Spirit,' Videl said.

'That and he's finally understood what it's like to have a child who has no interest in beating opponents up,' Bulma said, sending a wink in Gohan's direction.

'I don't mind fighting, I do find it fun, I just don't have the need to constantly do it like the other Saiyans that I know,' Gohan replied, his arms folded across his chest.

'We're off topic,' Bulma said. 'What we need to do is turn the focus away from these people that are seeking their fifteen minutes of fame and claiming to have been one of your closest friends. We can't take it from your Father, he's a part of this story but what we can do is turn everything on its head so that people can hear your side Videl and understand where you are coming from.'

'It should also help get them away from those people who are trying to become famous in all this,' Ronald said from the corner of the room, a cordless phone held up against his ear as he furiously texted with his mobile.

'It's what Grandpa had to do when I was born,' Gohan explained. 'He made the announcement on behalf of Mum and Dad, thanked everyone for their well wishes and then told the press that they wanted privacy during this time.'

'Did they back off?' Videl asked.

'Most people got it, others who were a little pushy and tried to get pictures when Mum and I were in the markets with Dad and Grandpa. Having Dad did help because all he had to do was grab the camera out of one of their hands and it was enough to make those stubborn few left over back off for good,' Gohan said.

'Same when I made the announcement about my marriage and Trunks. They tried to snap of picture of Vegeta once and he ended up smashing their camera, it was enough to make them back down. It's since picked back up again because of new blood and a greater interested in Capsule Corp but generally it's all kept under control with the help of Drusilla and Ronald, plus the urban legend of what Vegeta did to the camera,' Bulma said.

'And the guy who tried to photograph Bra in the bathroom,' Gohan said.

'That too,' Bulma said, a dark look settling on her face for a few seconds before changing back. 'Once your side is out there things will hopefully begin to run a lot smoother and you can begin to live your lives like you did before.'

'Somehow I don't think it's going to be that easy, especially with Dad being the glory hound he is,' Videl said.

'Well that's why it's handy to have you here. You know exactly what you can say that will stop him from making certain comments that will keep this story snowballing, and you have Ronald and I here to help as well,' Drusilla said, taking a sip of coffee. 'Plus you've got Bulma to back you and Gohan as well, two very brilliant minds who will be able to see the gaps that we won't.'

'Not to mention the Z Fighters,' Bulma said. 'I've already had calls from everyone from Krillin to Tien asking what is happening and how they can help. At the least they will be moral support, at the most we'll have them behind you when you speak to the press. Your Father had his entourage with him when he made his statement, you'll have yours, only yours will be much more impressive.'

'Not to mention that all of them have very good standing all over the world,' Drusilla said. 'Having them behind you, even if it's in spirit, will help.'

Videl looked at Drusilla and then backup at Ronald. She had no idea how much of the truth the two of them knew and if they knew everything they were either very good at keeping a clear head or they were just really good at their jobs. Right now wasn't the best time to ask her husband's Godmother, but she made the mental note to ask Bulma about it later.

'They will seriously stand behind me like security while I talk to the press?' Videl said.

'Well, not Vegeta, but when have I ever been able to get him to do something like that when it was about us?' Bulma joked. 'The rest however have your back, and I'm sure all you need to do is say the word and you'll have Chi-Chi, Goku and the Ox King there as well.'

'I hate having to drag them into this,' Videl hissed, slumping back in her chair and her jaw setting in that determined way that let Gohan know that he was about to lose an argument.

Gohan looked over at Bulma as she got to her feet, Drusilla mimicking her shortly after. 'Why don't we give the two of you a couple of minutes? Drusilla and Ronald need to check on their team and see how they are going with their tasks and I need to check on Bra and Vegeta.'

'Bra isn't at pre-school?' Gohan asked.

'There's this one teacher at the pre-school that I've had my eye on for the past year, she's a little too friendly when I drop Bra off and a little too observant of who Bra plays with and who she is friends with. I don't want to take the risk of Bra getting set upon by those vultures if my hunch is correct and that little Miss decides to sell the information that she has,' Bulma explained. 'Especially now with this whole story circling around Pan. She just needs to put two and two together and Bra will be stuck there and we won't be able to help her.'

'Understandable,' Videl said.

'I thought that the pre-school had a confidentiality policy regarding info on the kids. If she tells anything then they could be sued,' Gohan said.

'Important information like where she lives and her contact info are all under that. Who she plays with is a different matter,' Bulma said. 'Plus it gives Vegeta the chance to have a Daddy-Daughter day.'

Gohan barely contained his snort. Last time he was around during Daddy-Daughter day he had walked in on Vegeta taking part in a tea party, complete with tiara and feather boa. Needless to say he had decided to go home early that day - after snagging a couple of pictures and sending them to all the Z Fighters. The next time they sparred, Gohan spent more time in recovery then he did in the Gravity Room.

'Don't leave this room,' Bulma said.

'I wasn't planning on it,' Gohan said.

Neither Videl nor Gohan spoke again until the office door closed and the two of them were alone in the room.

'Well this wasn't how I was planning on spending my day,' Videl said. 'I had a couple more tests I needed to do on the new weight bands that we're developing, if they don't get done today we're going to fall behind.'

'I don't think the boss is going to get mad,' Gohan said, flicking a newspaper to the floor.

'That isn't the point that I'm trying to make,' Videl said.

'I know.'

'How the hell did this guy manage to sneak up on us anyway,' Videl said gesturing to the photos that were staring up at them from the glossy magazine paper.

Gohan had stared at the photos enough that morning to know them off by heart. One showed Videl and Pan laughing as Pan rode the little rides out the front of their favourite cafe, the second one was of his girls spinning around and the final one was of them hugging in what was meant to be a moment for just the two of them. He could feel the red hot anger burning in his chest over the invasion of privacy, his Saiyan side mad the someone had invaded a moment between its mate and offspring and had captured it for the enjoyment of others. His more rational side knew that it was going to happen eventually, but it didn't stop the feeling from building up in his chest.

'You were at the mall,' Gohan said. 'I know that you're good at Ki sensing but we both know that you still have problems sometimes trying to pick out threats in crowds as big as they were that day.'

'How is it you didn't pick it up? We were both there,' Videl said.

'If this was taken the day I think it was then it was that day I had the board meeting with Bulma about the new Station on Namek and I was an hour late, by the time I got to you and Pan for lunch that day you had already ordered for me and they were bringing it to the table,' Gohan explained. 'I was nowhere near you two when it happened.'

'I know,' Videl said, running her fingers through her shoulder length black hair. 'I'm just so pissed that his asshat decided that he could do this.'

'You told me once that these people have no conscious, that they only care about how to sell papers and magazine. It's why we had to be so careful when we were dating in High School and why we decided that we would stay under the radar afterwards,' Gohan said.

'I know, I know,' Videl said. 'Knowing that doesn't make it any easier.'

'I know,' Gohan said.

'Gohan, did we do the right thing?' Videl asked.

'What thing are you specifically referring to?' Gohan asked.

'Did we do the right thing in regards to Dad?' Videl asked.

Gohan couldn't lie. He had wondered this a thousand times over the years since he started to see Videl behind her Father's back. Each time he was going to put the point and say that they should tell him about their relationship, something would happen to drive the two Satan's apart until that night when Videl showed up at his parents' house, her most precious things in one bag, a ton of money in another, and fury etched all over her face. Gohan knew what had happened that night. The two of them had had another fight, where Videl had outed that she knew about her father's lies and that everything thing that he had built was built on the efforts of an eleven year old boy. Mr Satan hadn't taken kindly to that and the fight had continued on to the point where Videl told him that either he pay up or that was it. He had thought that she was bluffing and after telling her to go to bed, had walked out of the room laughing about the ideas of a teenager.

Five hours later Videl was on his doorstep after packing the things that she wanted to take with her and grabbing enough money to put both Gohan and Goten through the best schools and Universities with more than enough left over for Chi-Chi and Goku to live happily for the rest of their lives. When she had been questioned Videl had answered that they deserved more but this was all she was able to withdraw from her father's account at that time, besides they deserved it more than her father did. Chi-Chi didn't argue with her, though Gohan suspected that the two of them had had a heart to heart later on, and had gone about things like Videl had always been a part of the family.

Since then neither of them had heard from her father and it wasn't like they had closed all the channels. Erasa would often see him around Satan City and the two of them would chat but according to the blonde, Earth's Champion never asked if she knew where Videl was. Videl never changed her mobile number nor close down her email address, even when she started a new one after they got married. Gohan knew the both of them were stubborn and that Videl could have easily mended the bridge but he also knew that Mr Satan had a lot of grovelling to do before he got back into Videl's good graces and so far he was just digging his hole deeper and deeper.

'Videl, I told you the night that we got engaged that I would follow your lead in regards to your Dad. I'm happy to tell you what I think but he's your Dad and untimely it was your choice.'

'So you're saying that this could have been prevented if I wasn't so stubborn?'

'Yes and no,' Gohan said and took her hand. 'I know that your Dad hurt you, especially after he kept lying to your face after you told him that you knew the truth. I know that you don't want Pan around his self-absorbed behaviour or dragged in front of every camera like you were. But it's not like this is entirely one sided and at any point you could have mended the bridge just like he could have.'

'This isn't making me feel better,' Videl said.

'I know,' Gohan said. 'We both knew from the minute that we got together that when people found out about us that it was going to be big news. It was going to get bigger when we got married and bigger when Pan was born. I don't think, even if we had mended the bridge with your Dad, that we would have been able to stop this story. We would have had him on our side, but we wouldn't have been able to stop the story. What I'm trying to say is that we had our reasons for wanting to stay out of the lime light and we may have screwed up in terms of your Dad, we can't go back in time and fix that, however, we can try and stop it from getting out of hand and keep them away from Pan.'

'You're right,' Videl said. 'We screwed up but we have to deal with it, for Pan.'

'First things first we need to get our side out there. We'll deal with your Dad afterwards,' Gohan said.

'Ok,' Videl said. 'What do you think we should say.'

'The truth. We have no interest in being in the spotlight so we stayed under the radar. Pan is your daughter, we won't name her, and she is four years old. You can tell them what you want about me, that's up to you, I have no problems so long as we steer them away from Pan. We say that we're offended by this invasion of privacy and if we had wanted the world to know about us then we would have made a statement ourselves,' Gohan explained getting to his feet and walking over to grab a glass of water.

'What about Dad's comment about you?' Videl asked.

'The one where he said that I was a coward? Or the one where he said that I was keeping you and Pan from him?' Gohan asked.

'Both.'

'I don't want to address that publicly, not yet at least. We'll meet face to face and we'll sort it out,' Gohan explained.

'Are you sure?' Videl asked.

'Completely and utterly sure,' Gohan said.

* * *

The press surrounded the outside of Capsule Corp, swarming around and buzzing like a sea of wasps waiting to be swatted so they have ammunition to sting. Bulma had been correct when she said the Z Fighters would be happy to stand behind her when she made the statement, but in the end Videl decided that just knowing that they had her back was enough - at least for now. Goku, Chi-Chi, Pan, Goten and Trunks made their way over to Capsule Corp, the latter two making a show of standing behind her as Drusilla set the rules and tried to intimidate the press with their battle faces. Gohan and Goku stood in the shadows and were joined shortly after by Piccolo and surprisingly Vegeta, while Chi-Chi stayed inside with Bulma, Bra and Pan.

Butterflies swarmed around her stomach as she waited for Drusilla to step aside and let her speak. She knew that she had to be the one to make the statement. No one else would believe that it hadn't been concocted by her supposedly horrible and controlling partner if she didn't. She took a deep breath as Drusilla stepped to the left and the moment that she stood up at the podium the butterflies disappeared and were replaced by something else, something that she could quite name.

'Good morning everyone, thank you for coming at such short notice. Earlier this morning a story broke that involved myself and my family, when it broke I had no idea that it was coming and as you can expect I am still reeling from it. Pictures were taken of myself with a little girl that I can proudly confirm to be my daughter, who is four and the light of our family's life. She's a little bundle of energy that is hard to contain but is so filled with love and curiosity, just like her father,' Videl said.

'My father today confirmed that we have been estranged for some time and that he doesn't know his granddaughter nor has he seen me. My husband has had not say in this, and if anything has been following my lead because he has always held the belief that this is something between my father and myself and that he does not need to become involved with it. He is only there to support me.'

'The pictures that broke today were taken without my knowledge, or my consent and I am angered by this. Jerry Donald intruded on an intimate moment between myself and my daughter that would have been otherwise walked past if I had not been the daughter of Hercule Satan. As a result I am formally asking that the photos no longer be use, if they are then legal proceedings will begin against the publications and channels that continue to use them. I also ask that you stay away from my daughter and my family for the same reason.'

Videl looked out at the crowd and saw that they were all waiting for her to finish so they could bombard her with questions. She looked down at her written statement, knowing that she had said everything that was written on there, but something was still gnawing at her and she needed to say something. Without looking at Drusilla or back where she knew that Gohan was standing, she began to speak again.

'Her father is in no way controlling, as some reports have suggested. He is just about one of the kindest men that you will ever meet and doesn't have a hurtful bone in his body. He's a loving father and son and quite honestly the only man that I could ever picture myself marrying let alone have a child with. These comments that have been made against him are hurtful and in no way describe him, especially as the people who are making them haven't met him, let alone know him. Today he was called a coward because he didn't front up to my father and fight him like so many others had done, trying to get the chance to date me. That is not an act of cowardice, it is the opposite. Gohan has done everything that I asked of him in regards to my father, and he didn't go and see him face to face because he refused to get in the middle of our disagreement. He is strong in character and in mind and given the chance I know that he could beat my father. You see he did the one thing all the others were unable to do. He got me to fall in love with him and vice versa, which is something that all the other boys who tried to fight my father never managed, because they were more interested in themselves then me.'

Videl paused to catch her breath and wondered whether or not Drusilla was going to stop her. If she was, Videl didn't give her enough time to interrupt before finishing what she wanted to say.

'He doesn't need to fight my father, because regardless of what happened in any fight that they have from this point on, he's already won.'


	3. Perspective

Erasa Rubber was not an easy girl to shock, it was one of the things that she prided herself on (that and her ability to always do amazing work for her clients regardless of their budget) and she had only been made to feel that way only a handful of times by Videl.

The first was when she had been told by her best friend that she was going to start helping out the Satan City Police with all the crime that seemed to be taking over the city. Erasa had been sure that her friend had been trying to trick her until she recognised the steadfast look on her face that told her that Videl was 100% serious. Despite her best efforts Erasa had been unable to change her friends' mind and she could do nothing but sit on the sideline while she watched her best friend beat up the baddies.

The second time was when Videl told her that she and Gohan were dating. You would have had to have been completely unobservant to not see the chemistry that sparked between the quiet country boy who had a quick mind and sarcastic comebacks and the teenage crime fighter who hated the attention being the daughter of Hercule Satan gave her. However that didn't stop the gobsmacked feeling that flooded her body when Videl told her when a round of teasing regarding Sharpner's most recent attempts to  _court her_  went too far for her dark haired friend. It had been completely unintentional on Videl's part and Erasa had been quickly hushed and sworn to secrecy, which she has eagerly complied. After all who wouldn't be happy that their best friend was dating someone as nice as Gohan - not to mention he wasn't too bad on the eyes.

The third time was when Gohan and Videl told her that they were going to get married - and that Videl wasn't inviting her father. Erasa wasn't the ditz that she pretended to be at school, so she had noticed how strained thing became between Videl and her father as the months past after the World Martial Arts Tournament in their final high school year. She knew that Videl had barely spoken to her father since graduation and had all but moved into Gohan's place, but getting married was completely out of the blue. It was obvious that the two of them loved each other, you had to be blind not to see and Erasa was sure that even if someone was blind they would still be aware of the love that was shared between the two teens. So she had done what any good friend should do in that situation - squeal in delight, give a round of hugs and offer to help her clueless friends who knew nothing about planning any kind of social event that didn't involve a barbecue. The wedding was a hit, if Erasa did say so herself, and it helped spark interest in her current career.

The most recent time Videl had unintentionally shocked Erasa was when she told her lifelong friend that she was pregnant, not even six months after getting married, and Gohan had  _no_  idea. The two of them had sat in complete silence, looking at the two lines that decorated the Capsule Corp 100 percent accurate pregnancy test, unable to fully comprehend what they were looking at until Videl voiced it and it became real and completely exciting in Erasa's world. Together they plotted the best way to tell Gohan that he was going to be a father (which involved a trip to various shops to create a  _You're Going To Be A Dad_  hamper and settle up a camera to capture the moment when he finally realised that it all meant). When Videl showed her the footage later, Erasa hadn't been disappointed when she saw just ecstatic Gohan was. Plus being asked to be Pan's Godmother was pretty awesome as well.

All those things however completely paled in comparison to what she was currently witnessing on TV. Not only was Videl publicly speaking about her daughter and her father, two topics that she had never heard her friend merge together since Pan's birth four years ago, but she was incorporating Gohan, someone that she had been trying to keep out of the press just as much as she had been trying to keep her daughter out of it. She had tried to keep her little family away from the flashing lights and constant questions but untimely that had failed, all due to a nosy reporter who Erasa wanted to track down and punch in the nose.

She was however very proud of her friend for standing up for Gohan, lord knows there was no one who was more worthy to be defended more against the things that Hercule Satan was saying then Gohan, who didn't deserve to be treated that way by anyone in Erasa's book. The boy was one of the kindest people that she had ever met and didn't need to have someone turn the whole world against him because someone refused to actually listen to their daughter instead of acting like a total jackass.

Erasa ran a well-manicured hand through her blonde hair and picked up her phone. She had been putting this particular phone-call off for the better part of the morning and there was no better time to call Sharpner then now. Lord only knows that she would much rather be figuring out those last little surprises that she was trying to work into the designs she had for Gohan and Videl's bedroom, but right now it didn't matter what she wanted. Right now she needed to talk to her old friend and find out what the hell he had been saying to these damn reporters before he said something that wasn't going to disappear overnight.

With a reluctant sigh, Erasa punched in the memorised number and waited to hear it pick up.

* * *

 

Sharpner Pencil prided himself to be one of the best looking men in the world. One of Hercule Satan's best students, sponsors coming every which way to sign him to their brand, and it was amazing really that he was able to walk anywhere with all the women who kept throwing themselves at his feet. Sure, it's true he only had eyes for one dark haired, blue eyed, daughter of a Saviour that was a bit of a recluse nowadays, but it wasn't like he was getting married any time soon so it was more than alright to have a little bit of fun; at least until Videl came to her sense and realised what she was missing.

He was now starting to feel like he had been cheated however.

For the better part of five years, since they had graduated High School, Sharpner had been under the impression that Videl was somewhere at University or training to beat her father at the next World Martial Arts Tournament. Apparently that had not been the case and instead of her being away and trying to find the perfect way to apologise for turning him down all the times during High School, she had not only gotten married but she had a kid - who could not be any older than five years old.

When he had first become aware of the pictures through a fellow body building buddy, he felt anger over come him. It was a hit to his pride; someone else had managed to do what he had been unable to do, someone else had been able to bed Videl. It made his blood boil at the thought of Videl  _willingly_  sleeping with someone else. He would be the first to admit that maybe he had run his mouth off slightly to the reporter who had rung him and asked for a quote on the pictures, but it wasn't like he hadn't said anything that wasn't the truth, at least the truth in the way that he saw it. He hadn't really talked to Videl in a while; he had no idea who the father was and really, could you one hundred percent tell him that there was any kind of resemblance between that child and Videl Satan. I mean honestly.

As he had been watching Hercule give his statement a thought started to become more predominate the more he spoke.  _What if it wasn't a willing conception? What if some douche of a guy had gotten her drunk and slept with her with the full intention of getting her pregnant so she had no other reason but to marry him? How else could you explain why Videl refused to tell anyone about it? This guy had to be a completely controlling bastard in order to stop Videl from even seeing her father or allowing her daughter to meet him?_

The more he thought the more pissed off he became of this mysterious man who had fathered a child with Videl. The bastard that was stopping her from seeing her family. He was contemplating calling Hercule and seeing what he was planning to do when his phone rang.

'Hello?'

'Hey.' The voice was sharp but Sharpner knew immediately who it was.

'Erasa, I haven't heard from you in a while, have you seen the news?'

'Kind of hard to miss when they are swamping your front yard,' Erasa replied.

'I've got the same problem. I've had to do my morning workout here at home because I can't get out the front door,' Sharpner said, a smirk covering his face.

'Well aren't you Mr Popular,' Erasa said.

'Well,' Sharpner said. 'What's going on? Are you calling for any reason? Have you heard from Videl?'

Sharpner heard her snort on the other end of the of the phone in an  _I can't believe that you seriously just asked that_  way. 'In a way.'

'What?'

'What the hell have you been saying to the reporters?'

'You want to find out what they know so you can out scoop me or something?' Sharpner smirked.

'I don't stoop as low as you, Sharpner,' Erasa said.

'Hey, what does that mean?'

'It means exactly what you think it means,' Erasa said.

'What the hell Erasa, what has gotten into you?'

'Me? What the hell has gotten into you? Back in High School you wouldn't have even dreamed about talking to the press about Videl.'

'Back in High School Videl would have kicked my ass if I did. Not that she would be able to now,' Sharpner said.

'I wouldn't be so sure.'

'How would you know?'

'I just do.'

Sharpner paused and processed what Erasa said before leaning forward in his chair. 'You've been in contact with Videl since we left High School haven't you.'

'She's my best friend, dumb ass, of course I'm going to stay in touch,' Erasa said.

'You  _knew_  about all this,' Sharpner said.

'So what?'

'How could you not tell me?'

'How could I not tell you? How could I not tell you that Videl had met someone else? How could I not tell you that they got married? How could I not tell you that she had a kid? Quite easily apparently,' Erasa said.

'Why didn't you tell her Dad? You know that Hercule has been wanting to talk to her,' Sharpner said.

'Sharp, I don't need to report my friend's moves to her father when she herself is an adult. Nor do I have to report them to you,' Erasa said.

'How could you do this?'

'How could you do what you did to Videl? For a guy who claims to love her you have a pretty crappy way of showing it.'

'I do not!'

'So claiming that her daughter clearly isn't hers because there is no resemblance has no relevance here,' Erasa said.

'Have you seen the kid? She looks nothing like Videl.'

'Because, dumbass, she takes after her father's side,' Erasa said. 'She's the spitting image of her Grandmother in her younger years.'

'How would I know that? I didn't even know that Videl was married!'

'Maybe if you used the brain in your head instead of the one between your legs more often it would have come to you,' Erasa snapped.

'I can't believe that you would do this to Hercule, Erasa. He thought that you were a second daughter,' Sharpner said.

'Well, maybe he should have started treating his first daughter better and then none of this would have happened,' Erasa said.

'He's got to you too,' Sharpner said.

'Who has?'

'This guy! He's managed to grab control of Videl and stop her from getting away from him and he's managed to do something similar to you.'

The laughter that he got in response did nothing to defuse his anger.

'Sharpner, take your head out of your ass. Videl is not being controlled by her husband. If anything she is the one that has the most control in the relationship,' Erasa said.

Sharpner stumbled over his words as what Erasa said entered his mind and was processed. 'Have you - have you met him?'

'Have I met him? Have  _I_  met the husband of  _my_  best childhood friend? Of course I've met him!  _Seriously_ , have you got you head so far up your ass that it's cut off circulation to your brain and stopped it functioning?' Erasa scoffed.

'How the hell could you keep something like this a secret?'

'I don't know, how could you keep trying to win Videl when she has made it clear to you on a number of occasions that she is in no way interested in you?'

'You're really snarky today Erasa,' Sharpner said. 'I don't know why.'

'You are seriously more clueless then a Dad refusing to stop and asked for directions when he's clearly lost,' Erasa said. 'I'm mad at you. You have gone behind V's back and talked to the people that you know that she hates to get involved with. I can't understand why someone who claims to have been her friend would do that, especially when he is constantly trying to figure out how to win her, which - if you haven't already figure out - is pretty redundant at this stage.'

'Not if it turns out that he is the controlling prick that I think he is,' Sharpner said. 'Not to mention a coward.'

'A coward?'

'He didn't even have the guts to face Hercule Satan before marrying her, if that doesn't show how much of a coward he is I don't know what does,' Sharpner said.

'Please,' Erasa said.

'What?'

'You're grasping at straws,' Erasa said. 'You just can't handle the fact that she managed to find someone who isn't you, and you're not the only one either.'

'What do you mean?'

'Do you honestly think that you were the only one who had the hots for Videl? I can't even accurately list the people who tried to get her, let alone those who challenged her father behind her back.'

Sharpner growled. He of course knew that there had been others who had an interest in Videl, he wasn't blind. Videl was a very attractive woman so it was only human nature that so many people were interested in her. Of course he had always assumed that he had the best chance, what with him being one of her closest friends and all, but that apparently wasn't the case.

'Not that it matters anymore who wanted to date her the most, she's completely off the market,' Erasa said.

'For now,' Sharpner replied.

'They have a  _til death do we part_  type thing going on, nothing is going to break them apart,' Erasa said.

'Until he meets up with Hercule and then death will certainly part them. We both know that Hercule is going to kill whoever this guy is,' Sharpner said.

'Sure.' Erasa's tone was filled with sarcasm and Sharpner frowned.

'Please don't tell me that you're on  _his_ side,' Sharpner said.

'I've been on his side since the beginning. He has done nothing to hurt a Videl and he would die before he did. He's got my support,' Erasa said.

'Traitor,' Sharpner hissed.

'I really shouldn't be surprised that you are acting like this. It's almost like you've put blinders on and can't see the trees through the forest. Videl is happy, she has a loving non-controlling husband, a beautiful daughter and a happy life - all things that you and her Dad could have been a part of is the both of you had actually listened to what she wanted instead of thinking that you both knew what was best for her,' Erasa said. 'I can't stay and talk with you anymore, I just called to find out what you said to the damn reporters but I guess I don't really need to know, I know you well enough to guess. My suggestion would be to keep your mouth shut Sharp, V's husband won't use his fists to fight you - he prefers to talk things through - but he will if he has to, especially if he thinks that his family is being threatened.'

'Are you threatening me Erasa?'

'No, merely warning you. I know you well enough that you aren't going to leave this alone Sharpner, so you better be prepared. There is a line and if you cross it you will find it hard to hide, not only from Videl but from G as well.'

'You're not scaring me,' Sharpner said. 'Besides, do you honestly think that this guy will be able to do a damn thing to me? I'm Hercule Satan's best student.'

'Not only will he send you flying into the closest wall Sharp, but he's got enough connections that he could make your life a living hell if he so desired to,' Erasa said. 'Take my advice and just drop this. Sit down, shut up and just deal with the fact that Videl is taken.'

'You honestly believe that this coward is able to beat me, don't you.'

'You know what, I tried to warn you and be nice for the sake of what was left of our friendship, but honestly Sharpner you're too thick to take this is, you've got too much hair preventing anything other then what you want to hear entering your ears or you've just taken one too many blows to the head - regardless of why, you're obviously not getting it. Back down, sit down, shut up, smile and look pretty for once in your life, and if you can't do that then maybe you should start looking for places to hide because there is going to be a hunting party looking for you if you keep this shit up Sharpner.'

There was no goodbye, no nothing, just an angry growl of frustration before the beeping started that signified he had been hung up on. Sharpner looked at the phone, unable to believe that Erasa had actually spoken so rudely to him and had actually defended the coward who Videl was married to.

If anyone else had just received the talking to that he had from Erasa they would have done exactly what she had told them to. It wasn't often that the petite blonde got mad but when she did those around her needed to sit down and just listen to the home truths that were coming out of her mouth. Sharpner, however, wasn't anyone else, and had been friends with Erasa long enough to allow these explosions to just roll off his back and take no notice of them. If he was completely honest with himself then he would admit that it never ended will for him, however he wasn't about to admit that now.

His pride had taken a hit and he wanted nothing more than to find out who this controlling coward was that had their claws dug into Videl and get them to leave her, and her now confirmed daughter, alone. Whoever this Gohan was he had no idea who was coming to confront him.

Gohan. The name wasn't completely unfamiliar to him. He had known a Gohan in high school, the nerdy kid had hung around with him, Videl and Erasa but they hadn't kept in touch after graduation.  _The nerd is probably knee deep in some kind of maths equation that will amount to nothing in the long run_  Sharpner thought. The kid had been good to have on side, especially when something needed to be said quickly in order for their little group not to be ridiculed by some of the popular kids (though very few really tried anything), but he was thin, nerdy and in all honesty Sharpner doubted if the kid had even watched a Martial Arts fight, let alone trained for one. It was all but proven when Gohan hadn't been able to recognise Videl the first day of school.

So that easily ruled him out.

There was no doubt in his mind that Hercule Satan had already gotten in contact with the best Private Investigator money could buy, and if Sharpner could lend a hand to find out who this guy was then he was all for it. Plus if his suspicions about this guy were right (and surely they had to be, there was no way that Videl would have married someone who wasn't a martial artist if they hadn't forced her) he wanted to be there to watch as Hercule Satan beat him into next week.

Grabbing the phone, he began to dial the still very familiar number belonging to Hercule Satan.

* * *

 

Hercule Satan had built his empire high enough that he could no longer see the ground from where he stood. The tower was sturdy, made of the finest bricks and mortar that money could buy and there was nothing on Earth that could make it collapse.

Until this morning.

Hercule Satan was not a fool. He knew that a Videl was mad at him for building his empire on a foundation of lies. It was one of the reasons that he hadn't heard from his daughter in nearly six years. He had, however, believed that she would eventually see the error of her ways once she saw just how hard and rough the world was without him (and his money) there and would come running back. So far that thought had yet to be proven, and if anything it had been shattered into a million pieces once his PR team had shown him the pictures.

His little girl was a mother. He had a granddaughter and his daughter hadn't even told him about her. His daughter had grown into a beautiful young woman, who looked so much like her dearly departed mother, right down to the way that her eyes sparkled when looking at her daughter. Her daughter. The pictures were clear enough that Hercule could make out her little face, her tiny little nose and bright eyes that reminded him so much of Videl at that that age.

He could not get his head around the idea that Videl had purposely kept this little girl out of his life. There was no way that his daughter, despite refusing to talk to him for such a long time, would have done this if she had had a choice. It had to be the father of his granddaughter, there was no way that Videl would have done this otherwise.

Hercule Satan gripped the paper in his hand tightly. He could picture the no good coward now, the manipulative son-of-a-bitch knowing exactly how to get into Videl's head with a few well-placed smiles, hugs and promises that life was better without him in their daughters life. He had to be strong, not only physically but mentally in order to get such a hold on his little girl; but regardless of how strong this guy was there was no way that he would be able to beat Hercule Satan. He was the World Martial Arts Champion, defeater of Cell and all around good guy. When he got his hands on the man who claimed to be his daughter's husband he was going to beat him to a pulp.

And then his poor Videl was going to come home, with his granddaughter, and they would be safe, and happy and away from that son-of-a-bitch that kept them from him.  _I mean just look at her there, talking to the press, she is obviously being manipulated. Look at how hard she is holding that podium, and how she keeps glancing behind her as if waiting for someone to loom out of the shadows and grab her. She needs to be taken away from this guy NOW! And that Bulma Briefs, I always knew that there was something wrong with that woman. Capsule Corp hides too many secrets, not to mention she refuses to sell to me, plus how did she even manage to get to the position that she's at, surely there was someone else, some other_ _ **man**_ _, who could do the job for her; and I thought her father was supposed to be a genius. She must have worked_ _ **really**_ _hard in order to get to the position that she's in. I knew there was something not right with that woman; you can truly see someone's true colours when you look at the people that they hang around with._

It was obvious that Bulma Briefs was not the woman the world thought her to be, at least in his eyes. He wanted to storm over to where Videl was giving this press conference and bring her back to the safe confines of his house, where his PR team could handle the fallout and get the truth about this man out there.

' _Her father is in no way controlling, as some reports have suggested. He is just about one of the most kindest men that you will ever meet and doesn't have a hurtful bone in his body. He's a loving father and son and quite honestly the only man that I could ever picture myself marrying let alone have a child with. These comments that have been made against him are hurtful and in no way describe him, especially as the people who are making them haven't met him, let alone know him. Today he was called a coward because he didn't front up to my father and fight him like so many others had done, trying to get the chance to date me. That is not an act of cowardice, it is the opposite. Gohan has done everything that I asked of him in regards to my father, and he didn't go and see him face to face because he refused to get in the middle of our disagreement. He is strong in character and in mind and given the chance I know that he could beat my father. You see he did the one thing all the others were unable to do. He got me to fall in love with him and vice versa, which is something that all the other boys who tried to fight my father never managed, because they were more interested in themselves then me._ '

'Oh my baby girl, what have they made you believe? It's almost like when you told me that I knew nothing about the tricks that Cell and the other fighters used,' Hercule said as he watched his daughter.

' _He doesn't need to fight my father, because regardless of what happened in any fight that they have from this point on, he's already won_.'

'HA! He's going to fight me alright, and the only way he is going to walk out of that fight is with the help of paramedics,' Hercule growled, turning off the TV and looking over at John Standing, his PR manager, who had just finished talking on the phone. 'What do you think John?'

'This is going to be a tough one Hercule,' John explained. 'The information that we have is that Videl has been working with Bulma Briefs since she finished University last year. We don't know how close they are, but it's pretty obvious that there is some kind of connection for her to be allowing Capsule Corps PR team to manage this.'

'Got to be this husband of her's, this Gohan character,' Hercule said. 'How else could she have gotten so close to Bulma Briefs?'

'Exactly. We need to be careful what we say and do from here on in. Right now, while everything is still out in the open, there isn't a lot of information out there about your Granddaughter or who this Gohan even is. We're going to have to do a lot of digging in order to find out who we are dealing with,' John said.

'Worst case scenario?'

'Well,' John said looking Hercule dead in the eye. 'If it turns out that you are wrong and Videl has done everything of her own free will it could backfire amazingly, especially if this Gohan has got other friends in high up places.'

'You think he does?'

'It's not just an amazing coincidence that Videl has got Bulma Briefs' PR team helping her on this. Chances are that this guy has some good contacts, but we won't know for sure until we get some more information on him, and Videl hasn't exactly given us a lot to go on.'

'Couldn't we look for my Granddaughter's birth certificate or something?' Hercule asked.

'It's on the list of places to look, but those kinds of records aren't exactly easy to look at, it may take some time and money,' John explained.

'Right now I don't care,' Hercule said. 'This  _guy_  married my daughter behind my back. I want to know everything about him before I pummel him into the ground. Get in touch with Renaldo; he's never failed me when I've wanted to know information on the competition before.' Hercule said. '

'Of course. But you need to be prepared if things don't go the way that you want them to,' John said as Hercule's phone started to ring.

'Things  _always_  go my way,' Hercule said, picking up his phone. 'Hello. Sharpner, how are you?'

* * *

 

'Seriously V, I couldn't recognise the man I was talking to, it was like he had morphed into some idiot who couldn't see the truth that was hanging right in front of his eyes,' Erasa said.

'E, we both know that Sharpner has had an unhealthy hero worship type thing with my Dad for years, even before the thing with Cell. It's just gotten worse over time with all the time he's spent with him,' Videl replied and Erasa could hear Gohan's voice saying something in the background. 'Gohan said not to worry about him. If he wants to bury his head in the sand, then let him.'

'I know, but it would still be nice to get the old Sharpner back,' Erasa said as she head the tell-tale click that Videl had switched her over to speaker.

'Erasa, you have a huge heart, you could rival my Father in that regard, but when it comes to Sharpner it's a lost cause. You know that right?' Gohan said.

'In regards to us  _ever_  getting together? Yes. In regards to this? No.'

'E, I love you but you need to once again step away from Sharpner. Focusing on him is just going to take you back to where you were months ago and you've  _finally_ started to move on with your life,' Videl said.

'If I could I would send Sharpner to rehab so he could get over whatever is stopping him from seeing how amazingly perfect you would be for him, but they don't have a five step program for stupid,' Gohan said.

'I know,' Erasa said. 'How is it that you two have had the worst day on record and you're now comforting me?'

'Just the way the tables have turned I guess,' Gohan said. 'In all seriousness Erasa, just back away from Sharpner. I don't want to see him drag you down like he did, you're worth more than that and as much as I'm sure he could make you happy if he ever got his head out of his ass, I think you can do so much better.'

'I agree,' Videl said.

'So here is what you are going to do. You're going to say goodbye to us, lock your doors, turn off your lights, light a few candles and just relax in the tub with that new romance book I know you've been secretly hiding somewhere in your bedroom. Forget about Sharpner and his idiotic ways and fall in love with a duke or prince or cad or whatever the love interest is,' Gohan said.

Erasa giggled. 'Videl, how is it that you managed to snag this boy from under my nose? I'm sure I had eyes on him first.'

'You did, but he doesn't have a thing for blondes,' Videl said.

'Yeah, he only likes to become one every now and then,' Erasa giggled.

'At least there is no cross dressing involved,' Gohan said.

Erasa giggled and said her goodbyes to her friends. Grabbing her favourite candles, she lit each one as the bath filled with water set at the perfect temperature before she started to walk around the house and turn off all the lights. Her finger was about to flick the lounge room light when a knocking on the door made her pause. He looked at her watch. It was only six thirty, late but not late enough that it would be considered rude if you knocked on someone's door. Checking to make sure that her robe was done up properly, the blonde walked over to the door and opened it enough that she was able to see the two men standing on her doorstep, but not enough to make the chain go taught..

'Hi,' Erasa said. 'Can I help you?'

'Are you Miss Erasa Rubber?'

'Yes,' Erasa said cautiously.

'We would like to talk to you about Miss Videl Satan.'


End file.
